Combined latch and lock



Jan. 6, 1953 G. L Bons-:N ETAL COMBINED LATCH AND Locx 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Dec. 25, 1948 53 ZZ I l Z8 3b mi H5 H4 Hz 0. z i0 m,

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5/ nl z ,0,- 5 u 3 www 5 3 Z., UV- T 3 2,.. 8x. lo mm Jan. 6, 1953 G. l.. Bons-:N ETAL COMBINED LATCH AND Locx 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed De 23, 1948 Patented Jan. 6, 1953 2,624,191 COMBINED LATCH AND LOCK George L. Boden,

Wiepert, Branford, Conn., Merriam Manufacturing Company,

Middle Haddam, and George D.

assignors to The Durham,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 23, 1948, SerialNo. 66,953 2 Claims. (Cl. I0- 70) The present invention relates in general to locks and more especially to a combination latchand-lock for personal ille boxes, cash boxes and the like.

It is desirable in boxes of this type to have means for transporting a box and hence a handle is usually secured on the hinged cover of the box whereby the box may be lifted and carried from place to place. It has frequently happened, however, that whenabox of this type is unlocked and lifted by vits handle, the body of the box swingsidownwardly away from the cover, spilling the contents of the box onto the floor. It is expedient, therefore, to provide latch-means for securing the cover to the body of the box so that the box may be carried successfully from place to ,place without, the necessity of turning the lock.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a personal le box or the like with a superior lock wherein a latch is employed for releasably holding the cover of the box closed whenever the cover is unlocked.

A further object of the invention is to provide a superior combination latch-and-lock for personal le boxes and the like wherein the latch and locking-dogs move in opposition to each other such that when the locking-dogs are withdrawn from locking engagement with the striker of the cover, the latch automatically moves into latching engagement with the striker.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art. Inthe accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a le box embodying the improved combination latch-andlock of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the combined latch-and-lock of Fig. 1 with the face.. plate of the lock removed and the strikers of the striker-plate in latching engagement with the latch of the lock;

Fig. 3 is a bottom elevation of the combination latch-and-lock mounted on the front panel of the file box of Fig. 1, the front panel of which is shown in section;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the combined latch-and-lock and striker on section line klI---ll of Fig. 2 including a fragmentary'portion of the cover of the box;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the combination latch-and-lock on section line 5 5 of Fig. 2, including a fragmentary portion of the cover of the box;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the combination latch-and-lock, including a fragmentary portion of the striker-plate and the face-plate, the latch of the lock being out of engagement with the strikers;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of. the framemember of the combination latch-and-lock of this invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the face-plate of the frame-member shown in Fig. '7, including the cylindrical key-plug;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the striker-plate adapted to be secured to the cover of the box and having a pair of depending strikers for engagement with the combination latch-and-lock mechanism;

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the latchoperating member of the combination latch-and.. lock;

. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the latch per se of the combination latch-and-lock; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the dog-carrier of the combination latch-and-lock of this invention.

rReferring to the drawings, the latter illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention as used on a box IE! designed for ling personal papers, the box comprising a substantiallyrectangular body II and a cover I2. The cover I2 is hinged along one edge, as shown at I3 in Fig. l, to the corresponding edge of the upper end of the body I I of the box so as to swing relative thereto for closing and opening the box. A handle I4 is secured on the top of the cover I2 for transporting the box from place to place.

The combination latch-and-lock of this invention comprises a frame-member I6 consisting of a substantially-rectangular back-plate I1 having side walls I8-I8 and a top Wall I9 bent upwardly therefrom at substantially right angles thereto, each side Wall IB having an integral ear 20 projecting laterally therefrom and provided with an aperture 2| to receive fastening-means whereby the frame-member I6 is adapted to be secured to the inside of the front panel 22 of the body II of the box, with the top wall I9 of the frame-member I6 substantially flush with the upper edge of the front panel 22. The top wall I9 of the frame-member I6 is provided with a pair of laterally-spaced substantially-rectangular apertures 23--23 extending substantially vertically therethrough to receive the corresponding laterally-spaced strikers 24-24 of a strikerplate 25, which is secured to the front wall of the cover I2 by a welded joint or equivalent fastening-means, each striker 24 being formed with a transverse substantially-rectangular aperture 2S for accommodating a locking-dog of the lock-mechanism, as hereinafter described.

Fixedly secured on the inside of the back-plate I7 of the frame-member i3 is a substantially U-shaped retainer 2l comprising laterally-spaced substantially-parallel side walls 23 projecting substantially perpendicularly from the back-plate l1 of the frame-member I3, and a substantiallyperpendicular end wall 29. Each side wall 28 is provided on its upper edge intermediate its ends with an upwardly-projecting lug 3Q for securing the face-plate of the frame-nember l5 to the retainer 2l, in the manner hereinafter described.

As shown especially well in Fig. 2, the retainer is located substantially centrally of the backplate Il of the frame-member, while the apertures 23 in the top wall I9 of the frame-member are oifset laterally with respect to the retainer suchv that the upper ends of the side walls 28 are displaced to the right of the apertures 23. In this connection, the upper end of the lefthand side wall 28 is provided with a notch Y3| to provide clearance for the passage of the corresponding locking-dog of the dog-carrier, as hereinafter described. Further, the right-hand side wall 28 is similarly provided with a notch 32 for clearance of the right-hand locking-dog of the dog-carrier, the notch 32 of the right-hand side wall 28 extending from the forward end of the latter rearwardly to a point immediately adjacent the lug 3i).

The lock-mechanism is mounted within the frame-member I6 and comprises, in the main, a keeper 33 (see Fig. 2), supported on the backplate I7 of the frame-member for sliding movement vertically between the side walls 28 of the retainer 21; and a dog-carrier 34 slidably supported on the upper edges of the retainer above said keeper for movement laterally with respect thereto. The keeper 33 comprises a transverse bar 35 having integral legs 36 formed at opposite ends thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, each spending inner wall of the respective side wall 28 of the retainer 21 to guide the transverse bar 35 of the keeper for substantially-vertical sliding movement within the retainer. The upper edge of the transverse bar 35 is provided with an upstanding iiange 3l having a carrier-stop 38 projecting upwardly therefrom, the stop 38 being substantially intermediate the oppositeends of the transverse bar 35. The bottom edge of the transverse bar is also provided with an upwardlyprojecting nange 39, the latter having upwardlyprojecting knobs 40 at opposite ends thereof respectively for slidably supporting the dog-carrier, as hereinafter described.

The aforesaid keeper 33 is adapted to be held in a normal position within the retainer 21 by resilient-means comprising a two-legged spring 4|, the upper leg 42 of which is adapted to bear against the top wall I9 of the frame-member and the lower leg 43 of which is adapted to bear against the upper iiange-wall 37 of the transverse bar 35, the apex-portion 44 of the spring 4I being detachably secured on the back-plate l1 of the frame-member by means of a tongue 45 struck up therefrom and constitutinga post-over leg slidably engaging the correwhich the apex-portion 44 of the spring 4I engages.

The dog-carrier 34 comprises a sheet-metal member embodying a transverse base-portion 46 having a ward 47 on its lower edge intermediate the Iupper ends thereof for the reception of the flange of the dog-carrier operating-key, and a nose 48 on its upper edge substantially opposite the ward 4l. Projecting upwardly substantially vertically from the left-hand end of the transverse base-portion 46 of the dog-carrier, is an arm 49 having a locking-dog 50 projecting laterally from the outer end thereof at substantially right angles thereto. The right-hand end of the transverse base-portion 46 of the dog-carrier is provided with an arm 5| which is substantially Z-shaped and provided at its outer end with a laterally-extending locking-dog 52 which is in substantial longitudinal alignment with the locking-dog 50.

The dog-carrier 34 is adaptedto be supported on the keeper 33 by engagement with the upper edge of its flange 3"! and the knobs 40 of its lower flange 39 with the outer end of the locking-dog 59 engaged in the notch 3| of the retainer and the Z-shaped arm of the locking-dog 52 engaging in the notch 32 of the retainer. -Moreoven when so assembled, the nose 48 of the transverse baseportion 46 of the dog-carrier is engaged against the right-hand edge of the carrier-stop 38 such that the right-hand end of the transverse baseportion 46 of the dog-carrier is held positively in engagement with the corresponding side wall 28 of the retainer 2l.

The above-described elements of the lock'- mechanism are adapted to be heldin assembled relationship within the frame-member i6, in the manner shown in Figs. 2 through 6, by means of a substantially-rectangular face-plate 53 adapted to nt within the frame-member and having laterally-spaced slots 54 adapted to receive the upwardly-projecting lugs 3U of the retainer, the aforesaid lugs projecting through the slots so that by peening or otherwise striking over the upper edges of the lugs, the face-plate may be permanently secured to the frame-member i6. The face-plate 53 carries a conventional cylindrical key-plug 55- for receiving the key of the lock. The upper edge of the' face-plate is provided with apertures' 56 and 51 respectively substantially opposite the corresponding dog-receiving apertures 23-23in the top wall I9 of the frame-member, both of the apertures 56 and 51 intersecting the upper edge of the face-plate and the aperture 51 also intersecting the left-hand edge thereof. The latter, as shown especially well in Fig. 8, is provided with an integral upwardly-bent side wall 58 having a notchA 59 formed adjacent the upper end thereof, the notch 59 being suitably formed to provide clearance for operation of the latch-release button hereinafter described.

Referring especially to Fig. 1l, the latch 60 comprises a bell-crank lever having a short transverse leg 6| which is accommodated inthe space between the left-hand side wall 28 of the retainer and the left-hand wall I8 ofthe framemember I6, the upper edge of the short leg 6| being provided at its inner end with an upwardly-projecting trunnion 62 adapted to extend through an aperture 63 in the face-plate whereby the lever 6B is pivotally supported on the backplate Il of the frame-member for oscillatory movement in a plane parallel thereto. To hold the lever in its latching position; the4 long sub*- :agresserY stantially-vertical leg 64 oi'the bell-crank lever is engaged by a spring 65, one arm 66 of which engages against the left-hand wall I8 of the frame-member and the opposite arm 61 of which engages against the long leg 64 of the bell-crank lever substantially intermediate its opposite ends. The upper end of the aforesaid long leg 64 is bent outwardly laterally away from its base-portion such that the upper end of the long leg 64 is located normally substantially intermediate the left-hand side wall of the retainer and the lefthand wall of the back-plate. Formed integrally or otherwise secured on the upper end of the long leg 64 is a laterally-projecting catch 6-8 extending to the right of the long leg 64 and at substantially right angles thereto, the upper edge of the catch being provided with an upwardly-andrearwardly-sloping cam-face 69. The length of the long leg 64 of the latch is such that the catch 68 is normally disposed substantially opposite the notch 3| of the wall 28, with the camsurface 69 of the catch in alignment with the end of the dog 58 immediately beneath the corresponding aperture 23 of the top wall I9 of the frame-member.

' The latch 68 is adapted to be actuated by means of a latch-operating member 18 comprising a bellcrank lever 1| having a trunnion 12 pressed or otherwise made to project substantially perpendicularly from the right-hand face of its knee and to pivotally engage in an aperture 13 provided in the side wall 58 of the face-plate 53 for pivotally supporting the bell-crank lever 1| in the vertical recess formed between the side wall 51 of the face-plate and the left-hand side wall I8 of the back-plate. The short arm 14 of the bellcrank lever 1| is provided with a longitudinal slot 15 which intersects the free end of the arm, the longitudinal axis of the slot being slightly forwardly of the trunnion 12. The slot 15 is adapted to engage over the short leg 6| of the latch 68 adjacent the outer extremity thereof to form an articulated connection therewith whereby pivotal movement of the bell-crank lever 1I about its trunnion 12 in the plane perpendicular to the back-plate I1 of the frame-member will oscillate the bell-crank lever-latch 68 in the plane of the back-plate I1 of the frame-member against the resistance of its compressed spring 65 thereby swinging its catch 68 from its normal position immediately beneath the aperture 23 in the top wall ,I9 of the frame-member to the left, out of alignment with the aforesaid aperture 23. The bell-crank lever 1I is adapted to be actuated manually to operate the latch 68 in the manner describedI above, by means of a button 16 struck up or otherwise formed from an arm 11 extending substantially transversely of the forward end of the long arm 18 of the bell-crank lever 1|, the arm 11 of the button 16 being locatedV substantially opposite the clearance-notch 32 in the side wall 28 of the retainer 21 whereby the button 16 may be pressed inwardly to operate the bell-crank lever 1I for oscillating the latch 68 in the manner hereinabove described. With the latch-and-lock assembly secured on the inner face of the front panel 22 of the box I8, the key-plug 55 projects through an aperture therein so as to be engaged by a key from the front face of the front panel 22, and the latchoperating button 16 projects through a second aperture in the front panel 22 to permit operation of the latch.

The operation of lock may be described briefly as follows.

the combination latch-and- With the locking-dogs displaced to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, corresponding to their unlocked positions and the latch 68 in its normal position, then on closing the cover of the box, the strikers 24 of the cover will move down through the corresponding apertures 23 in the top wall I9 o1 the frame -member, the left-hand striker engaging the cam-face 69 of the catch 68 thereby positively camming the latch 68 in a counterclockwise d1- recton against the resistance of its spring 65. When the cover is fully closed, the apertures 26 of the strikers 24 are substantially opposite the locking-dogs 58 and 52 of the lock-mechanism. Moreover, as soon as the aperture 26 of the lefthand striker arrives opposite its respective locking-dog 58, it is likewise substantially opposite the catch 68 of the latch 68, whereupon the latter is released and swings back to its normal position under the urgency of its spring 65, the catch 68 engaging in the aperture 26 of the striker 24 thereby successfully latching the cover to the body of the box. Now, if it is desired to lock the cover in its closed position, the operator inserts a key into the key-plug 55 and turns the key in a counterclockwise direction, whereupon anA inner bit of the key cammingly engages the lower ange 39 of the transverse bar 35 of the keeper, thereby elevating the keeper against the resistance of its spring 4|, as a consequence of which the carrier-stop 38 on the upper ange 31 of the keeper is moved upwardly with respect to the nose 48 of the dog-carrier 34 such that the stop is clear of the aforesaid nose 48. Further counterclockwise rotation of the key will engage an outer bit of the key in the ward of the dog-carrier thereby picking up the latter and sliding it from right to left such that the locking-dogs 58 and 52 move into the corresponding apertures 26 of the strikers 24 to positively lock the cover in its closed position. As the counterclockwise rotation of the key is continued, its outer bit disengages the ward of the dog-carrier so that further rotation of the key has no effect thereon. Subsequent counterclockwise rotation of the key then carries its inner bit out of engagement with the lower flange of the keeper, whereupon the keeper is lowered by the force of its compressed spring 4I until its carrier-stop 38 re-engages the nose 48 of the dog-carrier but on the opposite side thereof from its normal position, thereby preventing inadvertent displacement of the locking-dogs l58 and 52 from the respective apertures 26 of the strikers. It will be clear that when the dogs 58 and 52 are displaced to the left to lockingly engage in the apertures ,26 of the strikers, the locking-dog 58 will engage the catch 68 to move the latter to the left against the resistance of the latch-spring 65 out of the aperture 26 of the left-hand striker 24. The catch 68 of the latch is so held by the lockingdog 58 until the cover is unlocked.

To unlock the cover, the key is inserted in the key-plug 55 and rotated in a clockwise direction, whereupon the inner bit of the key elevates the keeper against the resistance of the keeper-spring 4| to move its carrier-stop 38 upwardly out of engagement with the nose 48 of the dog-carrier. Further rotation of the key engages its outer bit with the ward of the dog-carrier to displace the latter from its left-hand position to its righthand or normal position in which the lockingdogs 50 and 52 respectively are withdrawn from the corresponding apertures 26 of the strikers 24. As the locking-dogs are moved out of locking engagement with the strikers into their normal positions, the spring-loaded latch and, in particular,

ege-24,191?

swings back; toits normal position, thereby reengaging theaperture 25 of' the left-hand striker 2E. TheV latch thusv automatically latches the coverto-the box-body whenever the cover is unlocked by Withdrawal of the locking-dogs from the strikers. normalextreme right-hand position in the-framemem-he'r, the outer bit of the key moves outof the ward of the dog-carrier andi subsequently the inner bit-of the key disengages the keeper which is then loweredvby the force of its compressedspring 4i tol re-engageits stop 3B with the nose 48` of theI dog-carrier, so as to positively holdthe latter in its! normal position, with the locking-dogs out of' engagement with Vthe strikers: of the cover;

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the latch is arranged .inV conjunction with theV lock to automatically latch the' cover to the bodyfof theloox whenever the cover isclosed and the lock is not turned; and, further, that the latch is adapted to be moved laterally by the laterall locking-dogs with the corresponding movement thereof`r out of latching engagementwith the striker as the locking-dogs are moved into locking engagement therewith and to beY moved automatically' into re-engageinent with the striker as the locking-dogs are moved out i engagement therewith. The' foregoing more ments of` the latch are accomplished automatically. It is clear, however, that in order to un latch the cover when the lock" is not turned, the latch-button i6' is pressed inwardly manually, as indicated in Fig. 6, thereby oscillating the latch in av counterclockwise direction against the resistance of its spring E', so as to disengage its catch from theaperture 23 of the corresponding striker of the cover to release the latter. On releasing thewbutton, the compressed latch-spring 65? returns the latch to its normal position for reengaging the striker of the cover when the cover is againV closed,` the catch automatically latching the'cover closed, thereby precluding inadvertent emptying of the contentsy of the box onto thev iloor whenV the box isv lifted by the handle'ofitscover.

The invention may be carried out in other specific waysthan those herein set forth without departing from thev spirit and essential characteristicsof the invention, and the present ernbodiment's are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,A and allv changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

l. In alock for av box having a body, a cover hinged thereto and a striker securedto said cover, the combination including: locki echanism secured to the body of said box; said lock-mechanism being arranged to be operated by'a key to move into and from engagement with saidstriker' lock and unlock'said when said cover is=closed to cover tcand from said box-body respectively; a latch mounted on said box-bodyin the plane of said lock-mechanism and to one side thereof; resilient-means in engagement withI said latch,

When the dog-carrier` reaches itsv latch4v normally in engagement with'. saidl striker when said cover is; closedtherebyV tol latch. said'- cover to said 4box-body;l said latch being arranged to-.beengaged by said lock-mechanism and-moved out of eng-agement with said strikeragainsttheV resistance of saidf resilient-means as said lock mechanism is moved into engagement with said striker and to be automatically re-el'igagedv with said' striker' by* the forceof said resilientemeans as said' lockme'chanisml is f moved aWayfroni said latch eutof engagement' withl said' striker: and means for operating said latch independently of said lock-mechanism; saidlatch-operating means comprising a- [bell-crank leverhaving an artcu'- latedv connection with said latchf and a button for manuallyA actuating said benl-crank" lever;

2. In a lockV for a ibo'x having abod'y; a cover hinged'thereto and a striker'securedto' saidcover.` thel combination including: lockrnechanism secured to the body of saidboX; said lock-mech@ anism being arranged'to-.be operatedby'a key' to'- move striker when said cover isV closed to lock and lock said cover to and from saidbox-body re'-V spectively; a latch comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally supported in said'lock to one sideofsa'id lock-mechanism in the' path of movement' thereof, said bell-crank leverhaving acatch; resilient-`v means inengag'eemnt with said bellcrank lever, said resilient-mea'nsv being adapted to hol'dthe catch of said bell-crank lever'normally inengag'ement with said strikerwhen said cover'is closed` thereby to latclilsaidcover to saidbox-bod'y; saidtobe engaged bysaid lock-- mechanism and moved out-of engagement with' said striker against the resistance of said resil` catch being arranged ient`meansas said lock/#mechanism is moved into engagement vwith said strikerand to' be automatically refengagied with said resilient-means as said lock-mechanism is moved away from the catch of said fbellcrank" lever out of engagement with' said striker; and manually-operated means-for actuating said bell'- crank lever independently of saidA lock-mech ani'srmsaid latch-actuating means comprising a GEORGE L. BODEN. GEORGEv D. WIEPERT REFERENCES' CITED The following references are' of'record ln the nle of this patent:

UNITED STATES r-A'IfEN'rsfv Y Number' K Name Date 868,036" Tong Oct. 15, 149-07 1,321,605 Deren Nov. 11; 1919 2,030,456D Ledin Feb. l`1, 1936 into and'V from' engagement with said? said striker by the force of 

